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The very best of sensational Iceland in just seven days. Sounds good, right? During this tour, we will show you the most stunning and legendary places, from incredible waterfalls and erupting geysers, to the Golden Circle to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. There are numerous awaiting you, including whale watching, glacier hiking, visiting ice caves, hot springs, steaming geothermal areas, and hunting for Northern Lights.
This tour will show you the most majestic sights and scenery around the famous Ring Road and the delights of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. We will take you to steep fjords with ragged-toothed mountains reaching into the sky, black sand beaches, lava fields, and charming fishing villages, whose histories are deeply woven into Icelandic life’s fabric and beyond.
For multi-day tours, each participant is allowed to bring a small backpack and 1 piece of luggage weighing a maximum of 20 kg (44 lbs). If you have more or heavier luggage with you, you will need to book storage for the surplus luggage before you arrive, there is a small fee for using this facility. Luggage storage in Reykjavík can be added during the booking process of your order in the extras section.
* The combined dimensions of each bag must not exceed 158 cm (62 in).
On the first day, we will take you to the most famous waterfall in Iceland, Gullfoss. Gullfoss Falls is an amazing 32-meter waterfall cascading down in two stages. It is located in the canyon of the Hvítá river, part of the famous Golden Circle.
Next, we’ll visit the most important historical site and geological wonder, Þingvellir National Park (Thingvellir). The cliff of the Almannagjá ravine runs right through Þingvellir, straddling two continents where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates have been slowly drifting apart. Þingvellir has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and you’ll indeed find out why! Next up is an erupting geyser at the Geysir geothermal area. Strokkur, the most active geyser, spouts torrents of scalding water every 5 to 10 minutes.
Then it is onwards to Iceland’s best-known black sand beach, Reynisfjara. Reynisfjara black sand beach is known as one of the most dangerous places in Iceland. The phenomenon called “sneaker waves” is quite often here. It’s when the occurring wave is much bigger than the previous one, and it can easily pull you back into the sea. With precaution, this site is truly one of the most beautiful you will ever see.
Full details of the places you will see on other days can be found in the itinerary. Each night you will stay at a different country hotel or guesthouse, putting you in the perfect location every time. From September to April, slip away from your hotel each night to hunt for the elusive Northern Lights. Your guide will give you exclusive advice on the best ways to find them!
The tour returns to Reykjavík on day 7 at around 20:00 in the evening. In Iceland, the weather can sometimes influence schedules.
The day starts with pick-up from your accommodation or a nearby pick-up point in Reykjavík. The three attractions of the famous Golden Circle are first up on the agenda. Þingvellir National Park is an important place in the heart of every Icelander. In the year 930 CE/AD, the Icelandic people established their parliament here, the oldest continually operating parliament in the world. There is more to Þingvellir than great history. It’s listed as UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its historical, geological, and cultural importance. You will see Þingvallavatn, home to the Silfra fissure, which delves down between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The cliff of the rift valley runs right through the National Park.
The geothermally active hot spring area at Geysir is another Golden Circle attraction. Great Geysir, which gave us the English word geyser to describe this sort of hot spring, is no longer active. Strokkur, a nearby hot spring, spouts spectacular torrents of superheated water every 5 to 10 minutes. A visit to Gullfoss waterfall will complete our Golden Circle. Feel the force as the falls thunder through the high rugged canyon, dropping 32 m in two stages.
Next, we take a scenic drive along the beautiful South Coast, stopping at Seljalandsfoss Waterfall. Here you have a unique opportunity to experience the power and wonder of nature. Don’t just view these falls from a distance – walk the pathway which takes you right behind the elegantly falling cascade. We head onwards to the scenic Skógafoss waterfall. Here, the water crashes over the former sea cliffs, and those cliffs extend for many kilometers, marking the coastline long ago. Watch out for rainbows – the incredible spray makes Skógafoss an ideal spot to catch single or double rainbows!
The day’s final stop is at Reynisfjara black sand beach, home of the legendary Reynisdrangar peaks, said to be the figures of two trolls who were turned into stone when they faced the morning sun! You will also see the incredible basalt column cave as you wander along the beach.
After a full day of sightseeing, we make our way to a country hotel in the area around Kirkjubaerklaustur, a charming South Coast village. From September to April, your guide will give you special tips to find the Northern Lights in the area.
Hotel Geirland or similar (subject to availability)
We enjoy breakfast and check out from our hotel. Today, we continue our journey along the south coast in the direction of Skaftafell and Vatnajökull National Park. Vatnajökull glacier, Hvannadalsnúkur, the highest peak in Iceland, Skaftafell and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, and many other natural treasures can be found within this 13,600 km2 protected wilderness area. Iceland has three national parks: Þingvellir, Vatnajökull, and Snæfellsjökull – on this tour, you will see them all.
We will stop at Skaftafell for a glacier hike led by one of our certified glacier guides. Equipped with crampons and all the necessary glacier equipment, you will be led onto a Vatnajökull outlet glacier. These glacier tongues/outlet glaciers are unique places, with crevasses, moulins that can drill down to the glacier’s base, and many incredible vistas for you to explore. Our guides love to be asked questions, so don’t be too shy to ask!
From October to April, we replace the glacier hike with an exhilarating journey through Vatnajökull’s crystal ice cave. Each winter, the glacier meltwater freezes into new ice caves that wind their way through the glacier’s heart. See Iceland’s mighty ice caps from the inside!
After your bracing glacier hike, our comfortable minibus will take you to experience yet more glacial magic at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. As we approach the main highway, you will glimpse a procession of mystically floating icebergs. These, often towering and amazingly shaped chunks of ice, broke free from the edge of the retreating Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. Occasionally, you will see seals frolicking in the enormous lake between these stunning ice sculptures. So, you feel as if you are in a film scene? Well, actually, you are! Footage of a couple of James Bond movies and other films has been shot here.
Some with glittering blue ice, those icebergs make their way to the sea at Diamond Beach, a black sand beach just a few minutes walking from the Glacier Lagoon. The icebergs which been brought ashore by the tide come to rest here. Usually, you will see quite a few sitting like fine diamond jewels or giant shining clear quartz crystals on the coal-black sand. Some people call it Crystal Beach!
In the evening, we will lay our heads in comfortable accommodation in Höfn, a charming seaside town and the lobster capital of Iceland. In winter, search for the Northern Lights near the hotel.
Hotel Höfn or similar (subject to availability)
We leave the Vatnajökull National Park area behind, but the sensational scenery continues! We follow the twisting and turning roads, flanked by the coast on one side and majestic mountain peaks on the other, through the East Fjords to Egilsstaðir. This picturesque town on the banks of the Lagarfljót River is home to the legend of Largarfljótasormurinn, the Largarfljót worm. Tales of the giant Largarfljót worm, which is said to reside in the lake and show itself from time to time, are firmly established within Icelandic folklore tales.
We stop off at Djúpivogur, a small and remote fishing village. The North Atlantic waves wash over the black sandy beach, and a rich birdlife thrives. Most Icelandic birds live and nest around the area during the summer months. Locals lie to joke that there are probably more birds here than people. Djúpivogur is home to just over 1100 people. As a community, they have a reputation for being welcoming and strongly committed to eco issues.
Day Highlights
Included
Hotel
Hotel Wilderness Center or similar (subject to availability)
Today is filled with stunning North Iceland highlights. The drive up from Egilssaðir will take us through wild and remote landscapes, we will start from Stuðlagil Canyon, one of the world’s most enchanting basalt rock formations. On our way to visit the magnificent Dettifoss waterfall, we will show you Möðrudalur, at 469 m, the highest farm in Iceland. Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, with a tremendous flow rate of 193 m3/s (6,816 cu ft/s). The thundering Jökulsá á Fjöllum River drops 44 m (144 ft) through the rugged canyon. There’s vastness and rawness to the nature around Dettifoss, where this great river and the glacial floods of the past have carved out imposing ravines.
We continue to Hverfjall, a volcano crater caused by an eruption 2500 years ago. We will also visit the Dimmuborgir lava formations, known as the ‘dark cities.’ Some of these lava forms will tower above us like fairytale giants. Dimmuborgir was formed when the roof of a giant lava tube collapsed. Although entirely natural, some formations may remind you of certain things. Can you guess which one is known as The Church (Kirkjan)? We continue our drive around picturesque Lake Mývatn on the way to Akureyri, making a stop at the stunningly beautiful Goðafoss Waterfall.
We will stay at a country hotel in Akureyri, the second-largest city in Iceland. The clear skies around Akureyri make for great Northern Lights hunting in winter.
Day Highlights
Included
Hotel
Hotel Berjaya Akureyri or similar (subject to availability)
We start the day with a drive through Akureyri, the capital of North Iceland. On a few departures, there is time to make a short stop. On your way to the picturesque fishing town of Dalvík, you will, in good visibility, get fabulous views of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord in Iceland.
Your whale-watching boat tour from Dalvík will take you across Eyjafjörður Fjord, chasing after whales, dolphins, and other wonderful ocean life. Humpback whales, dolphins, and porpoises are usually seen. Occasionally we can even see seals and blue whales!
We continue to drive the scenic road sandwiched between the towering mountains of Iceland’s best ski resorts and the glorious fjord, taking us around the Tröllaskagi peninsula. We pass through charming villages and hamlets before stopping at Siglufjörður. In the early part of the twentieth century, this village was known as the herring fishing capital of the Atlantic. People rushed to cash in on the boom, and the town acquired a klondike-style gold-rush atmosphere.
Today, the great shoals of herring are long gone, but the rich history and character of those times in Siglufjörður are exceptionally well-preserved. The villages around this peninsula will give you an excellent feel for the kind of life lived in Icelandic places, which seem to be falling off the world’s edge.
We travel onwards through farmlands with many fields of Icelandic horses to Laugarbakki. Your accommodation for the night will be at a country hotel in this area. Your guide will help you search for the Northern Lights at night from September to April.
Hohtel Laugarbakki or similar (subject to availability)
Today we focus our attention on the area around Borgarfjörður in West Iceland. This area was voted one of the best travel destinations by Lonely planet in 2016. Our first stop is at Grábrók, a volcano crater. Where we take a short hike to the top, in good visibility, there are spectacular views over the lava fields and the landscapes stretching way into the distance.
Your next stop will be very different! We’ll visit Deildartunguhver hot spring. This Borgarfjörður jewel is the most powerful hot spring in Europe, supplying most of the hot water utilized in the area. We will also see the Hraunfossar waterfall, where the ice-cold water pours out of the lava in thousands of creeks, forming the vast and picturesque falls. Onwards to a very different nearby waterfall, Barnafoss. The name of this beautiful waterfall means ‘Children’s Falls,’ and your guide will tell you all about the legend behind it!
Our final stop of the day is at Reykholt, an important place in the history of Iceland, particularly in medieval times. We will show you Snorralaug, the hot spring pool which bears the name of Snorri Sturluson, the 12th/early-13th-century scholar, lawyer, historian, and saga writer. Stand by the pool where Snorri is reputed to have bathed and contemplate the threads of Icelandic history woven together.
After a day filled with wonders, you are driven through the charming Borgarfjörður countryside. You will be dropped off at your hotel in Borgarnes. Spend the night chasing the Northern Lights in the winter months!
Hotel Borgarnes or similar (subject to availability)
Today, our expert Snæfellsnes guide will pick you up around 8 a.m. You’ll spend a whole day exploring the magical Snæfellsnes Peninsula, its craggy cliffs, black pebble beaches, seabirds, and glacier mountains.
We will drive you through the spectacular countryside with breathtaking mountains and coastal views. Stop at the charming seaside village of Arnarstapi, where you’ll have the chance to visit the natural Miðgjá rock arch, then the 19th-century Búðakirkja church.
For lunch, we’ll stop at the village of Hellnar (food and drink not included).
Next, we head into Snæfellsnes National Park, where we will have the chance to stroll around the moss-covered lava landscapes and admire views of Snæfellsjökull Glacier. This glacier was featured in the work of the famous novelist Jules Verne. He chose this glacier for the entry point into the underworld when he wrote Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Onwards to the magnificent black pebble beach at Djúpalónssandur, framed by crazily shaped cliffs. You get time to explore the beach and even try your hand at the ‘lifting stones’ the fisherman used to lift these boulders to proclaim their strength. This coastline is magnificent, but it can also be treacherous. The remains of the British Trawler, Epine, which was shipwrecked here, are evidence of that.
On the way back to Reykjavík, you will be driven through legendary scenery. Your next stop will be at Kirkjufell. Many people say this is the most photographed Icelandic mountain, and you can also be a judge of that. In the evening, after a week of sensational sights and exciting adventures, we will drop you off in Reykjavík. We return to the city at around 8:00 p.m. We will drop you off at your original pick-up location.
Hotel not included
Pick-up is at 08:00 am from your hotel or a nearby meeting point in Reykjavík. Picking everyone up can take up to 30 minutes. Your patience is much appreciated.
In the checkout process you will be able to go through the accommodation specifics. Also there is a handful of rentals you can pick from a list for an additional charge.
